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COVID-19 Insights: Canadian COVID Concerns Rise as Stores Re-Open
June 11, 2020
COVID-19 Insights: Canadian COVID Concerns Rise as Stores Re-Open
Last updated on September 29, 2021
With findings from mid-May indicating that COVID-19 has had a decidedly negative effect on Canadians mental health, we would expect to see shoppers eager to get back to their pre-pandemic ways of life—including heading back to brick-and-mortar stores to get their retail fix.
However, data from our 10,000 daily survey respondents suggests that Canadian consumers are still wary of stores re-opening if there’s any lingering concern over a COVID-19 resurgence.
And that hesitation continues to have an influence on Canadian consumers’ shopping habits, with a third of respondents expecting to use curb-side pick-up services even after stores have re-opened.
Let’s dig into this week’s data in greater detail:
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Is it too soon for stores to be re-opening?
Based on our research, more than half of Canadian consumers have negative sentiments about the loosening of store restrictions: Almost 50% of respondents overall indicated they are “nervous” or “anxious,” while a further 3.6% are “overwhelmed” by the thought of retailers re-opening their stores while there’s still a threat of a COVID-19 resurgence.
In contrast, about 37% feel positive sentiments about retailers’ re-opening efforts.
These findings could be further indication of the negative impact that COVID has had on Canadians’ mental health. Yet, when we look deeper into this week’s results, it’s clear that other factors are at play as well.
What’s holding consumers back in the return to brick-and-mortar retail?
Cleanliness is one factor. In general, more than a quarter of respondents don’t trust retailers to keep high-touch surfaces clean.
Among these respondents, Millennials are least likely to trust retailers’ cleaning practices (28.5%), followed closely behind by Gen Zers (27%). Meanwhile, while Gen Xers (23%) and Baby Boomers (22%) are slightly more trusting overall.
With some consumers still leery of getting back to shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, it leads us to consider whether consumers will continue to favour online shopping—and in particular, curb-side pick-up options—even after legislation allows for progressive store re-opening.
Will consumers still use curb-side pick-up after stores reopen?
Based on our research, a significant portion of shoppers are satisfied with their curb-side pick-up experience, with 35% of Caddle respondents indicating that their most recent experience was “excellent” or “above average.” (Interestingly, New Brunswickers, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians skew even higher in their interest in curb-side pick-up, at almost 42% each.)
Yet, even so, consumers seem divided on whether they expect to use curb-side pick-up services after stores ease restrictions: About a third of respondents overall agreed that they would, while a slightly larger segment (36%) admitted that they were uncertain.
Among these respondents, Millennials are most likely to continue to use curb-side pick-up (38%), while Gen Zers and the Greatest Gen (born between 1900–45) are least likely (at 41% and 39%, respectively).
What would lead shoppers to adopt curb-side pick-up over the long term?
Faced with obstacles when using curb-side pick-up—including long wait times, lack of order accuracy, and length of time between placing and picking up orders—Caddle users identified several factors that come into influence their decision-making around using curb-side pick-up instead of online purchasing with delivery.
From delivery charges tacked on to digital orders (33%) and expected delivery time (25%) to inconsistent products being made available via the different services (almost 20%), it’s clear that retailers have an opportunity here to give consumers more of what they want from their shopping journey, whether that involves delivery to their homes, curb-side pick-up, or buy-online-pick-up-instore (BOPIS) as restrictions ease on brick-and-mortar visits.
If that’s the case, then, we’d expect to see increased consumer willingness to support retailers who are working harder to provide a better customer experience. Indeed, this extends to other pain points that consumers experience from click-and-collect and curb-side pick-up.
Take, for example, the product assortment available to shoppers during the COVID-19 lockdown: A quarter of respondents indicated that they’re unwilling to forgive brands who are producing more single-use plastic due to the pandemic’s safety precautions. (Quebecers are the least forgiving, at 35%, while respondents in the Maritime provinces and Canada’s northern territories are most forgiving.)
Further, product and service quality can be hit and miss with curb-side pick-up, which might explain why such factors as quality and the “shop local” trend each influence about 35% of Caddle respondents to shop at farmers markets, where “farm-to-table” freshness and seasonality are prioritized.
The question then is: What are the implications of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions on non-essential purchases?
How has the pandemic affected non-essential product purchases?
According to our research, 50% of respondents have been forced to abandon a non-essential purchase due to COVID-19, and only 34% of those respondents who abandoned a non-essential purchase put that money in savings, while almost 25% plan to save the money until the purchase becomes available in the future.
With almost 72% of non-essential purchases coming in at an average of $0–300, we can conclude that retailers should expect a reasonable windfall of discretionary purchases to take place once consumers feel confident that the pandemic is firmly under control and stores begin to open up more broadly across the marketplace. (This is further supported by our findings from May 8, 2020, wherein 31% of respondents across our 9,273-strong sample indicated that they were planning an online shopping spree over the next month.)
Canadian consumers are divided on their preferred shopping experience as covid-19 restrictions ease
Not all consumers are ready to head back to brick-and-mortar stores—especially those who have concerns about retailers’ abilities to keep surfaces clean during a potential resurgence of the pandemic.
A sizeable swath of Canadian consumers have taken up curb-side pick-up in place of in-store shopping, and a third of those shoppers expect to use curb-side pick-up even after stores begin to re-open—suggesting that retailers will need to be hyper-vigilant about delivering as many positive customer experiences as possible to keep consumers shopping in their stores, whether online or, as restrictions ease, in-store.
Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers can learn from local sellers
Shoppers who prioritize product quality, freshness and “shop local” sourcing are supporting farmers markets with greater frequency.
Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers can take a page from farmers markets’ playbooks, by prioritizing the quality and availability of their products and services, while also working to keep prices down (including delivery charges) and using less single-use plastics while doing so.
Some non-essential purchases are being deferred , but they’re not necessarily being cancelled forever
Though a significant number of consumers have had to abandon non-essential purchases because of the pandemic, the dollars they would have spent aren’t necessarily going away for good. Instead, Canadian consumers have deferred those purchases—which means that retailers may see a return of non-essential purchases, as stores open up and greater product assortment hits shelves in the months to come.
*Disclaimer: all data presented is owned by Caddle and has a Margin of Error of 1% or lower.
Get better business insights, faster, with Caddle. Want more Caddle Insights? Sign up to our email list!


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Compiling figures from IPG Mediabrands and the MAGNA Global Advertising Forecasts 2013 report, regional social video advertising platform Buzzeff recently stated that global investments into social video advertising have witnessed a growth of 37 percent in 2013, amounting to $8.26 billion. In the MENA region, it claims that social video advertising saw a 300 percent growth in 2013, when compared with the previous year, attracting more than 100 new advertisers and $60 million. These investments are well aligned with recent numbers jointly released by digital performance marketing agency RBBi and mobile ad network Addictive Mobility, which show that more than 80 percent of click throughs – where users intentionally click on ads to visit a company’s website – in the region were made via links embedded in online videos.
YouTube’s pros and cons
In this context, YouTube (YT) has anchored itself as the driver behind the shift to video advertising. And it’s been loud about it. According to Google, there are 310 million YT video views and 14.5 million hours of watch time per day in the MENA region, where two hours of video are uploaded every minute onto the platform. Saudi Arabia leads the GCC with the most playbacks on YT – followed by the UAE – and has doubled its YT partners since last year. “The growth of digital video in the region is a major topic of conversation, especially with YT registering the highest consumption rate per capita in Saudi Arabia, a first worldwide,” says Waseem Afzal, head of digital at OMD UAE.
However, the video giant seems to be competing against the viewership and advertising clout of regional TV conglomerates, which is why YT recently conducted six cross-media studies with global research company Millward Brown in Saudi Arabia and across large advertisers such as P&G, Unilever, Mars and Mondelez, positioning itself as a TV-plus media solution. The study showed that YouTube brings nearly eight percent of incremental reach to TV, is 66 percent more efficient than TV when comparing cost-per-reach points – with less than 10 percent of the TV budget, on average – and accounts for 34 percent of measured improvement in advertisers’ key brand metrics.
“A lot of the brands have started to integrate digital video in their TV plans and multi-screen planning is now becoming a more common industry practice,” adds Afzal, although admitting that: “We’re still seeing TV commercials being used online. The onus lies on creative agencies as much as it does on media agencies to develop creative that is tailored to different screens. A lot of the brands in our portfolio are adopting the inverted marketing model, which is to start off with digital in a refinement approach, accommodate enhancements and then put it back into 30-second spots on TV.”
And even though Ali Nehme, managing director of digital at Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) MENA, says that YT accounts for approximately 95 percent of the digital video market in the region and boasts unmatched consumption records in Saudi Arabia, its popularity is yet to translate into advertising dollars in the kingdom – and the region for that matter. “For brands to be able to advertise on video, they need a content strategy and a minimum of a good ad that they can promote, and they’re a bit behind on that in Saudi,” he says.
What’s more, YT, which had served as a platform for freedom of expression and subtle satire on current affairs in Saudi – propelling stars of web comedy shows and channels such as UTURN and Sa7i to celebrity status – is at the threat of full-on censorship by Saudi authorities. In April 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia was planning “tighter regulation of video content produced in the country for YouTube”, whereby its General Commission for Audiovisual Media will monitor this content “via a code that will include guidelines on alcohol, tobacco, nudity and sexual acts”.
Alternative video channels
This, perhaps, has pushed consumption on alternative video channels that are emerging in the kingdom, with video app Keek showing the most promise; a report by The Online Project in December 2013, entitled: Getting to Know Social Saudis, claims that Saudis engage more with short videos than longer ones. “When we looked at the ratio of the number of views per video to the number of videos uploaded, Keek surpassed YT by two times,” the report states. Nehme says Keek has amassed one billion page views in Saudi Arabia, where SMG MENA recently ran its first campaign for a client on the app.
On the other hand, Boye Balogun, regional head of digital at Mindshare MENA, speaks of the agency’s “Video Everywhere” platform. “We look at video in different ways: content activation and creation; distribution – disseminating content not only on destinations such as YouTube, but also across different websites, and then measuring it to show the incremental benefit of online video to TV; and, for clients, we’re starting to look at incremental reach, interactive GRPs [gross rating points] and online engagement,” says Balogun.
In this regard, digital TV and VOD (videoon-demand) platforms would serve as natural extensions to the traditional TV screen. According to the Digital TV Middle East & Africa Databook, digital TV penetration will reach two thirds (73.8 percent) of total TV households in the MEA region by the end of 2014. Another study by regional multi-screen revenue assurance and media protection solutions provider Irdeto in March 2014 shows that consumer demand is increasing for OTT (over-the-top) offerings and Internet TV services and Netflix in the GCC region. The study adds that 23 percent of GCC consumers surveyed would prefer to watch TV, movies or sports content through Internet TV services, while 40 percent in total would prefer to use Internet TV services in the future.
Incidentally, that same month, Telly, a San Francisco-based social video aggregation platform catering to the region, announced the launch of its premium service, Telly Plus, a “Netflix for emerging markets,” according to co-founder and CEO, Mo Al Adham. Meanwhile, MBC Group’s VOD catch-up platform, Shahid.net, continues to boast impressive growth figures, so much so that it partnered with Samsung in late June this year to launch the Shahid app.

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'High Maintenance' Duo Join Pulse, Tool Signs Judelson and More
Pulse Films has signed director duo Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld, creators of web-series "High Maintenance," to its roster of commercial directors. Known as"Ben& Katja," the pair recently announced a financing deal with Vimeo that will see "High Maintenance" become Vimeo on Demand's first directly-funded original programming series. Blichfeld is an Emmy-winning casting director, while Sinclair, who also stars in "High Maintenance," is an actor and editor.
Tool has added Jaci Judelson to its roster as a director. Her commercial work includes spots for clients such as Nokia, L'Oréal, Evian, Match.com, Gap, France Telecom and Dove's "Real Women" series. In addition, she has created branded content and films for clients such as BMW, Ralph Lauren, H&M, Vogue Paris, and GQ. On the social action side, Judelson has directed AIDS public service commercials, as well as the "Vote From Abroad" internet campaign for President Obama's 2008 election run. She also directed documentary series "Undressed: Fashion in the 20th Century," which was broadcast internationally on Channel Four, Bravo and Canal+.
Aramique has also joined Tool, as an interactive director. His work includes the first 3D-printed music video for Cut Copy, an immersive labyrinth for Nike and most recently, a 30-foot tall interactive balloon sculpture powered by tweets in Times Square. Prior to Tool, Aramique was the creative director at Obscura Digital N.Y. and founded Odd Division, a studio for emerging media. His collaborators have included brands such as Nike, Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Pepsi, Puma, Sonos, XL Recordings and Moogfest.
British music video director JT is one of the three partners behind the launch of creative content studio Squire in London. JT, who has also directed branded content for the likes of Range Rover, Google, Next, Boots, Volvo and Absolut, founded the studio along with veteran producer Phil Tidy and finance and commercial director, Clare Nicholls, who previously co-founded indie TV company Splash Media. Its directorial roster includes Simon Henwood, who has helmed campaigns for Adidas, Reebok, Diesel and BT, as well as directing videos like Kanye West's "Love Lockdown", and BAFTA-winning team Mr Kaplin, which has created live action and animated films for brands such as MTV, Chivas Regal, Intel and Samsung.
Nice Shoes has opened the Nice Shoes Creative Studio, headed by Executive Producer Geraint Owen, who joined from Superfad last year. Joining Owen are newly signed Creative Director/Director James Coulson, Creative Director/Director Harry Dorrington and VFX/Animation Director Steve Parish, who's worked with QuietMan, Smoke & Mirrors, and The Mill.The team will work out of a new workspace in the company's NYC office.
Sister production companies Lucky 21 and Directorz have merged under the name Lucky 21. Represented under the new Lucky 21 banner are directors Jeff Bednarz, The Chartrands, and Tom Ryan. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. with a second office in Dallas, TX.
Australian production company Photoplay has entered the US commercial market by acquiring NYC-based Razr. The company is headquartered in Sydney, Australia with offices in Auckland, New Zealand, and representation across Asia. Mitchel Elsen, who founded Razr last year, will stay on board through the acquisition to become the company's managing director overseeing all North American activities. Its roster includes Australian directors Scott Otto Anderson and Husein Alicajic, VFX collective No Brain, visual comed director Matt Mantovani, illustrator/animator Lucinda Schreiber, and Canadian duo Felix & Paul. Benjamin Lacour also joins, together with Christian Gruener.
Director Gary Nueman has launched Engine Virtual Film Company, a new, creative content and production company based in California, as principle partner. Nueman has worked in production with agencies such as Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide. The directorial roster includes Noah Harald, David Mahmoudieh, Scott McCullough, Kevin McVey, and Andrew Rydzewski. Work so far includes a Hard Rock Energy campaign to be released in Summer 2014, led by McVey, and an Audi spot for digital agency AKQA, co-written and directed by Nueman and McVey.
Arcade Edit has added Dave Anderson to its team, based out of its New York office. His portfolio includes work for brands such as Swedish Fish, FedEx, Staples, Fruit Snacks, ESPN, Little Caesars and Comcastas well as the Carmax "Slow Clap" 2014 Super Bowl spot, which was directed by Harold Einstein. In 2012, Anderson won Best PSA at the AICE Awards for Ad Council's "Funny Fails," which promoted birth control awareness. Before joining Arcade, he worked at Mackenzie Cutler for ten years.


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The AutoCoding Inspection Reporting product, available from Inspection Systems, is designed to monitor the performance of multiple checkweighers, metal detectors and X-ray equipment, irrespective of brand.
Peco InspX Corporation has released its SHIELD range of X-ray inspection machines, suitable for high-speed production lines.
Dutch meat producer Zandvliet Vleeswaren is always striving to improve, and one example is its state-of-the-art metal detection system by the Italian supplier CEIA.
An AutoCoding solution holds all the information relating to a product, such as date coding rules, packaging configurations, coding profiles etc in a database which is maintained away from the factory environment.
SICK has streamlined its W16 and W26 photoelectric sensors with technologies such as TwinEye, LineSpot and ClearSens.
Vision inspection can be an important QA/QC tool on production lines. This quick Q&A outlines how it can help you.
The 'intelligent' packaging would use biological sensors which detect the signals cells send to one another when they begin to break down.
Peco InspX Corporation has announced a robust vent tube detection capability in sealed beverage containers using its side-view full container X-ray inspection systems.
The Tamper Evident Labeller from LSS provides tamper-proof security of cartons.
Chromatic Technologies has announced Tamper Alert, an irreversible, heat-activated ink technology to identify tamper evidence in labels and packaging for food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics and other products targeted for theft and counterfeiting.
Mimica has developed a food expiry indicator, called Mimica Touch, which could replace traditional expiry dates on food products.
Identification and inspection are powerful technologies. They can improve efficiencies and product quality. This Q&A outlines what they can achieve when integrated.
Researchers at Clarkson University, led by Professor Silvana Andreescu, have developed a sensor that can detect food spoilage.
The 3D vision sensor designed for industrial use — the TriSpector1000 from SICK.
The Mettler-Toledo Safeline X-ray X36 Series is a series of adaptable X-ray inspection systems that provide high-detection sensitivity appropriate to a broad range of packaged applications.


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The most coveted accessory in New York's tech scene isn't a new iPad app or an invitation to a private beta. It's a status symbol that comes from the city's analog age -- something that evokes the days of egg creams and subway tokens, not Silicon Alley: a 212 area code.
Take Foursquare co-founder Naveen Selvadurai, one of the two minds behind the trendy online check-in service. The 28-year-old entrepreneur seemingly has all a young techie in New York might want: buzz and a growing brand valued at $95 million in its most recent round of venture funding. Everything, that is, except a 212 cellphone number.


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The governor hit a department store himself Monday morning to stock up on supplies for a child he mentors.
Jeb Bush joined the morning shopping crowd at Target to buy some back-to-school supplies for the eighth grader he mentors.
The media event took on a carnival air with the unexpected appearance of a woman dressed as a clown who then followed the pack through the store. The governor was promoting Florida’s back-to-school shopping sales tax holiday, where many clothes, books and school supplies are tax-free. Clown in tow, he headed for the registers where his bill quickly added up.
It turned out his tax savings was only about $2.20 because some of the supplies he picked out were not on the tax-free list. But he says it’s still worth it, even if you don’t have a child and just want to pick up a few supplies to donate.
Gov. Jeb Bush said, "You want to make sure that all kids start school equipped to learn and don’t lag behind for any reason. All kids deserve that."
And families love the sales tax break, even if it’s only about a $7 savings on every hundred you spend. It’s seven dollars you could spend on something else.
Mom Kelley Strickland says a couple of bucks can be a big deal if you’re on a tight budget.
Kelley said, "It makes a difference, and it makes a difference in a lot of families."
The sales tax holiday runs through midnight Sunday. You can get a list of sales-tax free items by calling the Florida Department of Revenue toll-free at 1-800-352-3671.
The holiday will cost the state and local governments about $40 million. In Georgia, tax-free shopping starts August 3 and ends on the 6th.


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BATTLE CREEK, Mich. (PRNewswire) — The terms whole grains and fiber cause a "whole lot" of confusion and can add up to a "whole lot" of calories for consumers looking to increase the fiber in their diets. According to a three-part series examining fiber in Nutrition Today, consumers who eat more whole-grain foods to up their fiber intake could increase their calories by more than 1,200 per day unless they carefully read the Nutrition Facts label and choose higher-fiber versions of the foods they already eat.
"Small steps in your diet can help make a big difference," said DeAnn Liska, Ph.D., senior director of nutrition science at Kellogg Company and a co-author of the article series. "Choose two or three foods each day - such as beans, fruit and cereal with at least 3 grams of fiber - to boost your fiber intake."
Fiber is an important nutrient beneficial to healthy weight, digestive health and heart health. Yet, less than one in 10 American adults and children get enough fiber in their diets, and most get about half the amount of fiber they need, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine.
In response, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identified fiber as one of four nutrients of concern that Americans need more of in their diets and recommended that the best way for people to meet their fiber needs is to use the Nutrition Facts label to compare whole-grain products and find choices higher in dietary fiber.
"Whole grains can be an important source of fiber, but the reality is that meeting the recommendation of 'making half your grains whole' will only provide about one-third of daily fiber needs for most people," said lead author Betsy Hornick, M.S., R.D. "So it's important to make your whole-grain choices count by looking for whole-grain products that provide at least 3 grams of fiber per serving."
This advice is important because the amount of fiber in whole-grain products can vary greatly and leads Americans to believe they are getting more fiber in their diet than they are. According to the articles, consumers should specifically look for grain or whole-grain foods that provide at least a good source (3 grams) of fiber to help meet their daily requirements without increasing calories.


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The food delivery service Deliveroo is coming to Cornwall.
The app service, which allows customers to order food from local restaurants and has delivered it to their door, will launch in Falmouth next month.
Deliveroo was first launched in 2013 and now operates in over 500 cities and across 14 markets, including Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the United Kingdom.
But Falmouth, which has a thriving student population, wants to get the first place in Cornwall to get the service.
Deliveroo is looking for car, bicycle, scooter or motorbike riders or drivers to deliver food from restaurants across the town.
Harrison Foster, Deliveroo's UK regional director, said: "We've seen a huge demand for delivery in Falmouth and we're excited to be launching next month; we're really excited to create new work opportunities for local people.
"The team is looking for people with passion, drive and great customer service, who are seeking the added benefit of flexible hours among other perks. We would encourage anyone looking for an almost paced and active job to apply through our website. "
Deliveroo says it's focused on providing the ultimate food delivery experience.
Eateries, traditional takeaways and high-quality chain restaurants, delivered to their homes.
No details have been published about the restaurants and cafes in Falmouth.
New riders are automatically enrolled in a first-of-its-kind free insurance package to ensure they are all covered while out on the road.
To apply online go to https://deliveroo.co.uk/apply


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Won’t somebody think of the narcissists? That’s right that happiest place on earth, Disney says no to selfie sticks. Posted signs and verbal warnings from staff members failed to contain the epidemic that is the selfie stick at the Disney amusement parks, so now the company is implementing a park-wide band on the smartphone accessory.
As of next week, Disney’s employees will start looking for selfie sticks during bag checks on entry. Visitors who attempt to carry one in will have two choices: leave it at the park entrance and pick it up on their way out, or just keep in in your hotel room or car to begin with.
The new policy goes into effect at Disney World and California’s Disneyland as of Tuesday, with the policy expected to expand to Disney’s amusement parks in Hong Kong and Paris as of July 1st. While Disney initially tried to accommodate selfie sticks, forbidding users from taking them out on rides but allowing them elsewhere on park grounds, some narcissists couldn’t resist the temptation to bring the onto popular rides like the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, leaving the company with no option but to erect prominent “No Selfies Sticks” signs at the park’s biggest attractions.
But after a few incidents that included another roller coaster at Disney’s California park being put out of commission for hour just this past week, it was the straw that broke Mickey’s back. The company has had enough declaring a world-wide ban on selfie sticks at all of their parks. The selfie stick was fun while it lasted. SAID NO-ONE EVER!


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Nokia marketing head concedes: missing Windows Phone apps are customers' biggest grievance55
Nokia is of course hard at work on changing that, but it is definitely an uphill battle. The company has just bragged about Windows Phone having 90% of the top 50 mobile apps, but some key applications like Instagram are missing.
For this to change though Nokia concedes higher overall volume of Windows Phone sales is key. That’s why the company is happy to see other companies like HTC join in the party with their own devices.
If Nokia was to remain the sole Windows Phone manufacturer that would become a much steeper hill to climb.


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Many, many annual events are as iconic and anticipated as the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
Historically branded and sponsored by Pepsi, the program itself and the ads surrounding it are a goldmine for advertisers.
This year alone, it was estimated that more than 103 million viewers tuned in to see Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent went out on the field as the Cincinnati Bengals faced the Los Angeles Rams.
But for the 2023 NFL season, it looks like there may be a major and significant change in the part-time program: Pepsi will no longer be sponsoring the program for the first time in a decade.
“After 10 years of iconic performances of the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show, we’ve decided it’s time to turn the microphone on,” the company said in a statement. ad via Twitter. “Thanks to the amazing artists and fans who helped us create amazing moments along the way.”
Related: 2022 Super Bowl Announcements: Doritos, Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi and More
Pepsi’s contract with the NFL expired after the 2021-2022 season and was pending renewal; the soft drink and snack giant expanded its sponsorship of the league to other features, including Pepsi with premium rights to major NFL games and events.
“Our priorities and priorities have evolved, and we wanted to make sure that as we continue this partnership, we all work to achieve the same goal,” Tracie Rodburg, NFL’s senior vice president of sponsorship management, told CNBC. . in a statement.
Pepsi originally signed as the official NFL soft drink sponsor in 2002, replacing rival Coca-Cola in a deal that was estimated to close at $ 160 million for a five-year contract.
Pepsi, however, made fans believe that there was some other important sponsorship or agreement for the company, ending its posting on social media with a cryptic “Now to the next stage …” next to two emojis with their eyes open.
There are currently no specific reports on which company is looking at the rights to the part-time show, which is estimated to be at stake for about $ 50 million.
Pepsi was relatively flat over a 24-hour period on Wednesday afternoon and rose nearly 14% year-over-year at the same time.
The soda giant is expected to report on its second quarter 2022 earnings on July 12th.
Related: Where were all the masks in the Super Bowl ads?


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Hacksaw Gaming, a supplier of premium iGaming content, has struck a new deal to supply the Malta-based Glitnor Group with content. As agreed, two of the latter company’s gaming brands will integrate Hacksaw games into their offerings.
The partnership will see the supplier power its new partner’s HappyCasino and LuckyCasino brands with its full portfolio of games. As a result, their players will be able to play some of the best titles Hacksaw Gaming has to offer, including Wanted Dead or a Wild, Dork Unit, Chaos Crew and the award-winning R.I.P. City.
Hacksaw Gaming has been supplying operators with premium slots ever since its foundation in 2018. The studio strives to disrupt the online gambling sector through its innovative, user-driven tech and games.
The company is headquartered in Malta and is available in more than 20 regulated jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, Malta, Italy, Germany, Ontario, Spain, Sweden, Greece, Romania and West Virginia, among others. Glitnor Group will therefore join an international list of operators using Hacksaw’s Games.
The Deal Will Help Glitnor Maintain Its Momentum
Hacksaw Gaming’s chief commercial officer, Gabrielle Star, commented on the deal, saying that partnering with Glitnor Group will expand her company’s reach in many regulated markets. This notably includes Sweden where the operator is very popular.
Star added that the gambling company has the same values as Hacksaw Gaming.
Glitnor Group shares our vision for a mobile-first world driven by next-gen technology. We’re excited to showcase some real showstoppers like Wanted Dead or a Wild, R.I.P. City and Chaos Crew to a brand-new audience.
Gabrielle Star, CCO, Hacksaw Gaming
Glitnor Group’s head of games, Sven da Waard, also released a statement on the deal. He said that he is excited to bring Hacksaw Gaming titles to LuckyCasino and HappyCasino players, further boosting engagement.
This is an exciting opportunity for us to deliver innovative and entertaining gaming experiences to our customers that they won’t find anywhere else.
Sven da Waard, head of games, Glitnor Group
Glitnor Group holds Sweden and MGA licenses and is one of the powerhouses in the European online gambling market. The company is known for its focus on Sweden and its dedication to innovation and excellent gaming content.
Speaking of innovation, Glitnor Group’s LuckyCasino, which launched in 2018, was one of the first companies to adopt Trustly’s Pay N Play method, which makes registering and depositing money a seamless and intuitive process. Glitnor believes that the addition of this revolutionary tech helped LuckyCasino cement itself as the fastest-growing gambling brand in Sweden.


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Big Ten Conference Brings In-plants to Ohio State
Almost 80 in-plant representatives attended the 38th annual Big Ten Printing and Copyright Conference.
This article was based on summaries provided by Sandy Komasinski and Don Roberts. Photos were taken by Bill LaBounty.
In-plants curious about the differences between Xerox, Kodak NexPress and HP Indigo high-speed color printers, got an insider's point of view at the recent Big Ten Printing and Copyright Conference, hosted by Ohio State University and organized by Don Roberts, assistant director of University Retail Services.
In-plant users of each technology related their experiences in a candid session that was the highlight of this year's conference. The panel featured:
• Jeff Dible, from Ohio State University, which uses a NexPress 2100.
• Barb Childers, from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, which has a Xerox iGen3.
• Sandy Komasinski, of Purdue University, which recently added an HP Indigo press.
Komasinski moderated the discussion, which was effectively a sequel to a panel she organized for Big Ten 2003 at Purdue, during which representatives of the same three vendors shared the podium. This time, users had the floor. To show what their machines could do, each had printed the identical color document. Copies were distributed to the audience for comparison.
Users revealed that their choice of equipment was directly proportional to the service/support of a vendor in their area.
For the University of Illinois and Purdue, going to a digital color production printer was a logical next step. Each had both offset and quick copy capabilities. For Ohio State, this was the first step into the digital, variable data world.
Since staff at the University of Illinois and Purdue was familiar with the digital world, file management was business as usual. Purdue chose to train one press person and one copy enter person as key operators due to the many press components on the Indigo. Each panel member said their vendor provided adequate training and on-site follow up. They said that up to an hour of maintenance is required each day.


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Sources: Avaya Stadium To Host '16 MLS ASG Beckham Meets With UM, Pols On Stadium TFC Fans Protest Sharing BMO Field With Argos Hope Solo Re-Emerges In Nike Marketing UGA's New Nike Deal Worth $40.8M Minding My Business: Nationals' Mike Shane Garber: STL Expansion Could Come After '20 Judge Declines Immediate MASN Ruling LAFC Stadium Process Causes Season Delay Orlando City SC's Magnet Giveaways A Hit
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ADIDAS SIGNS ON WITH MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Published September 21, 1994
MLS Chair Alan Rothenberg and adidas soccer Manager Tom Kain announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement involving adidas uniforms and footwear for the Columbus, OH franchise. Rothenberg said the agreement designates adidas as an "official uniform and footwear supplier to MLS" and expects to announce "one more" uniform supplier later this week. Kain said the agreement continues adidas' support for the growth of soccer in the U.S. through "start up efforts" such as MLS, clinics and programs for all levels of soccer and its players. Rothenberg expects to announce more investors and franchise cities for the MLS in the coming weeks. Nike already supplies uniforms and footwear for six MLS teams while Reebok supplies for three teams. Mitre Sports provides the official game ball (THE DAILY). WORLD CUP: South Africa intends to bid to host the 2006 World Cup. The South African Football Association announced its intention in a letter to FIFA. Besides South Africa, the German Football Association has also declared an interest in the 2006 Cup (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/20).


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While he was alive, Steve Jobs was Walt Disney’s single largest shareholder, courtesy of his role running Pixar, the company which transformed him into a billionaire. (No, it wasn’t Apple!)
However, it seems that Jobs’ family aren’t holding onto their largest stakeholder position, as Jobs’ widow Laurene Powell Jobs has since cut her stake in Walt Disney in two.
According to recent regulatory filings, Powell Jobs now holds around 64 million Disney shares. That’s down from the 130,181,925 Disney shares that were left for Laurene Powell to oversee in her capacity as manager of Jobs’ estate.
Steve Jobs became Disney’s largest shareholder in 2006, after Disney agreed to acquire Pixar for $7.4 billion in stock. In the aftermath of the deal, each Pixar share was swapped for 2.3 Disney shares, which gave Jobs a grand total of 138 million Disney shares — meaning that he owned a massive 7.7 percent of the company.
Now that Powell Jobs “only” owns 4 percent of Disney, it means that she no longer has reveal her transactions with Disney shares, as this is only required of those who own upwards of 5 percent. Should she wish to do so, she would be free to sell all of them without publicly disclosing it.
At present, Powell Jobs is the fourth-largest individual Disney shareholder.


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WorldRemit has announced the launch of its WorldRemit Entrepreneurs Programme in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Zimbabwe in its bid to empower 200 entrepreneurs from the African countries to help them grow their businesses.
The global digital money transfer service said this is part of its commitment to creating opportunities and facilitating development in Africa.
In a statement introducing the programme, the company noted that since the outbreak of COVID-19 across Africa, the continent has experienced a significant setback with the businesses of many entrepreneurs taking a hit. It further stated that these entrepreneurs control the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) landscape that have made significant contributions to the growth of the African economy especially through the creation of jobs. WorldRemit is kickstarting this significant investment to support and empower these small businesses to grow their businesses.
The programme, which commenced in November 2020, will run until the end of January 2021 and will focus on empowering 50 entrepreneurs each from the four African countries. The training module was developed and will be delivered in partnership with The Nest, a pan-African tech incubation hub reaching entrepreneurs from all sectors, domains, and industries across the continent.
The Entrepreneurship Programme brand ambassador, Patrick Nnaemeka Okorie, AKA Patoranking, said, the gesture will promote the partnership with WorldRemit and encourage people to enter the competition which will help to build entrepreneurship across Africa.
As a leading music star with a solid entrepreneurship background, he is well-positioned to support these businesses on their journey to growth.
Speaking on this partnership, Country Manager, Nigeria, and Ghana, WorldRemit, Gbenga Okejimi, said: “Much of what Africa is today is due to its entrepreneurship which is a key driver for socio-economic progress through significant job creation and innovation. At WorldRemit, we want to be known for fostering the African entrepreneurship spirit. We want to be a part of Africa’s future prosperity. By helping build entrepreneurs across our African markets, we are enabling growth and development.”
To participate, WorldRemit customers from around the world are encouraged to send a minimum of £50 or its equivalent value in their local currency to Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, or Zimbabwe between November 2nd and December 31, 2020. Winners will be chosen through a draw to nominate the budding entrepreneurs living in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The nominated entrepreneurs will receive the WorldRemit Business Booster pack, as well as access to the digital training course.


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PayPal, a leading global payments processor, has recently unveiled its new stablecoin named PYUSD, which is now accessible through its subsidiary app, Venmo. The company’s stablecoin, whose value is linked directly to the US dollar, is currently available to Venmo users and is expected to have a wider rollout in the following weeks.
PayPal made the announcement about PYUSD in September. The stablecoin launch came just six weeks after their subsidiary, Paxos Trust, committed to issuing the currency. Paxos Trust has guaranteed its value through full backing with US dollar deposits, short-term treasury bonds, and similar cash equivalents.
PayPal emphasized the burgeoning presence of PYUSD within its native cryptocurrency platform and its ongoing integration as the ecosystem evolves. Since its launch on the open market, this stablecoin has been listed on selected cryptocurrency exchanges, including Crypto.com, Bitstamp, Coinbase, and Kraken.
Reports from Nansen, a Blockchain analytics company, indicated in August that around 90% of PYUSD is maintained in wallets owned by Paxos Trust. BitPay, a cryptocurrency firm, announced its support for PYUSD on September 12, emphasizing its payment utility and community participation value.
PayPal has been proactively establishing its presence in the crypto market. It started accepting digital asset payments earlier this year, and by 2023, it plans to establish on- and off-ramps for Web3 payments. The New York State Department of Financial Services has also approved PYUSD, placing it on their green list of approved coins.


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Perrigo Co. PRGO, +1.28% said Tuesday it signed an agreement to buy nine generic prescription dermatological products and four pipeline products from Glades Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $56 million cash, plus consideration for future research & designs collaborations. Perrigo, Allegan, Mich., said it expects the products to add more than $20 million in sales annually. Glades is a unit of Stiefel Laboratories Inc., a privately owned company that specializes in the branded dermatology market. The transaction is expected to close by the end of March.
Perrigo to buy skin-product lines from Glades Pharma for $56


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Victoria’s Secret posted another quarter of declining sales as the brand continues to lose its grip on shoppers.
Sales at Victoria’s Secret stores open for at least a year and its website dropped 7% during the latest quarter compared with the same period last year, parent company L Brands said Wednesday.
L Brands, which also owns the stronger-performing Bath & Body Works brand, reported a loss of $252 million during the quarter. While L Brands (LB) stock ticked up slightly after trading hours Wednesday, it has lost 50% over the past year and its stock price is trading near its 10-year low. An activist investor has pressured the company to make sweeping changes.
Victoria’s Secret has lost women consumers to rivals such as Target (TGT), Kohl’s (KSS), American Eagle and lingerie startups. Leaders at Target (TGT) and Kohl’s (KSS) both called out their strength in their lingerie businesses during their most recent quarters.
Victoria’s Secret has also dealt with the fallout from L Brands founder and CEO Leslie Wexner’s ties to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein, whose death in jail last August has been ruled a suicide, was Wexner’s former personal money manager and a trustee of the Wexner Foundation, Wexner’s charitable group based Ohio. Wexner said he cut ties with Epstein in 2007.
In September, Wexner said that he was “embarrassed” that he put his trust in Epstein.
“Being taken advantage of by someone who was so sick, so cunning, so depraved is something that I am embarrassed that I was even close to, but that is in the past,” Wexner said at L Brands’ investor conference in September.


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Sixteen cents-a-day can’t buy you much of anything these days…
But it does buy you a ticket to a life changing investment opportunity.
As you may already know, marijuana legalization is steam-rolling across the country…
More than half of all U.S. states allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The entire west coast has become a legal pot mecca for recreational use.
Not only that, but the Federal Government has filed for – and received – patent #6630507 for medical marijuana (claiming that it could hold the secret to curing Alzheimers disease, Multiple Sclerosis and even Parkinsons disease).
In other words, the war on marijuana is drawing to a close… and the end of pot prohibition is just around the corner.
It all leads up to an incredible opportunity for investors… as the entire market is dominated by a handful of tiny companies.
But to make the most money from this once-in-a-generation opportunity… you need to get in ASAP!
According to CNBC, “Now is the right time to bet big on marijuana… [as] the industry is poised to be gigantic.”
Some of the biggest names on Wall Street have claimed a stake, including PayPal creator Peter Thiel… Reddit CEO and founder Steve Huffman… legendary hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt… and even Warren Buffett.
By: Technology Profits Confidential


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Deal or no deal: a guide to trade negotiation terminology
Canada, Australia or somewhere else?
What has Boris Johnson said? The prime minister claimed that due to the stubborn intransigence of the EU, he had to conclude that the “Canada-style” trade deal that he was seeking was not going to be successfully negotiated without a fundamental change in Brussels’ negotiating positions. He said it was therefore important that British businesses prepare to trade with the EU on the basis of “arrangements that are more like Australia’s, based on simple principles of global free trade”.
So what’s a Canada-style deal?
The EU has a trade agreement with Canada called the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or Ceta. This is the type of arrangement that, at the start of the Brexit talks, the EU’s negotiator, Michel Barnier, said would be possible if the UK wished to leave the single market and customs union. There would be checks on imports and exports and a great deal more red tape for businesses, as the UK would take itself out of the EU rulebook. But such a deal would reduce tariffs, or taxes, on imports and quotas – the amount of a product that can be exported without extra charges. What is being negotiated is something more than that enjoyed by Canada, however.
Both sides say they want a “zero tariff, zero quota” agreement. The Ceta deal goes some way to doing that – 98% of products are tariff free – but they do remain on poultry, meat and eggs, for example. Quotas also remain on some goods. “If they actually wanted a Canada-style deal, they should have extended the transition period – and then we could have gone through all the products and put tariffs and quotas in place, in return for lower demands on maintaining EU standards,” said one exasperated EU official.
Why does Johnson say this is now off the table?
Downing Street says the EU is offering less generous terms than the Ceta deal. There are various examples of this, including the length of stays for short-term business visitors or the lack of sector-specific provisions for key industries with technical barriers, such as motor vehicles, medicinal products, organics and chemicals.
The UK rightly says the demands on level playing field provisions also go beyond anything in the Ceta deal. These include non-regression from EU standards, with the raising of that baseline together over time, and a UK commitment to follow the bloc’s state aid, or domestic subsidy, rules. The EU has said that the sheer level of trade between the UK and the EU means it needs to be vigilant in maintaining fair competition. It has watered down its original demands on standards and state aid, but not enough for Downing Street.
What are Australia-style arrangements?
No 10 uses this as a more palatable short-hand for no deal. The EU does not have a free trade deal with Australia, although they are in negotiations. The two sides currently operate mainly on World Trade Organization rules, with huge tariffs on imports and exports.
It would be more accurate to describe no deal as an Afghanistan style arrangement. This is because the EU does have a few agreements in place with Australia that it would not have with the UK in the event of a failure of the current trade and security negotiations. These include an agreement on the transfer of EU passenger records to Australian border authorities to help combat crime and terrorism, and an agreement on the mutual recognition of conformity assessments, so that a product tested to EU standards in Australia is regarded as compliant.
▲ ‘Simple principles of global free trade’ will be Boris Johnson’s default


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Crypto-lending startup Babel Finance has raised $40 million in a Series A funding round led by Zoo Capital, Sequoia Capital China, Tiger Global Management and other investors.
- The round marks the first steps into Asia’s crypto finance industry for Zoo Capital, BAI Capital and Tiger Global Management, according to an announcement Monday.
- As of February, the China-based startup had lent $2 billion worth of cryptocurrency to more than 500 institutional clients, up from $380 million in March 2020.
- Babel’s derivatives business has a monthly trading volume of $8 billion.
- The investment will be used to acquire relevant licenses in markets worldwide, including North America and Europe, to offer crypto financial products to mainstream investors, the firm said.
- “Babel Finance aims to become a global powerhouse at scale and bandwidth in the industry matching our counterpart DCG in the U.S.,” Babel Finance co-Founder Del Wang said.
- Digital Currency Group (DCG) is the parent company of CoinDesk.
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.


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What you need to know
- 3G networks are being shut down globally, and Vodafone Netherlands is the first to do so in Europe.
- The firm says this is to improve connectivity and free up the spectrum.
- Other worldwide carriers plan to follow as soon as this year.
Chances are if you've got a modern smartphone purchased around 2017 onwards, you're using 4G. And it's been pretty great. Your songs stream near-instantly, your videos download quickly, and your snaps send almost as fast as you can take them. Sometimes, you fall back to 3G, but that's getting rarer than ever. Soon, depending on your network, you won't even have 3G to fall back on.
Vodafone Netherlands is kicking off the death of 3G in Europe by being one of the first carriers to kill off its 3G network entirely. The firm made this announcement back in December 2019.
Why is Vodafone shutting down 3G?
When 3G is gone, [customers] will have more and improved coverage through 4G. In remote areas, you sometimes only have a 3G signal at present. In the new year, in many of such places mobile internet will become a fraction better.
Old phones, even older SIMs – chances are that your smartphone and SIM card are already using 4G as it should… and have done so for years. In that case, you will only benefit even more. The end of 3G will bring the Netherlands much faster, safer and stabler mobile internet.
Vodafone Netherlands may be the first to officially dump 3G, but it's certainly not the last. With 5G becoming the future, 4G is set to become the new baseline. Over in the US, Verizon Wireless is killing off its 3G CDMA networks sometime in the near future (a 2019 shutdown date was pushed back). AT&T and T-Mobile are doing so as well in the early 20s.
Now, we just need to wait for 5G to become ubiquitous, so the benefits of a new generation can truly be felt.
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The Galaxy S20 FE is the best Samsung phone you can buy
Samsung makes a lot of phones — from $1,300 flagships with insane 50x zoom cameras to $250 budget phones with massive batteries. These are the best Samsung phones you need to know about in 2020.
Tales From the Galaxy's Edge trailer wields The Force and a release date
Stories far and wide reveal The Force in this full-length Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy's Edge trailer, coming next month for Oculus Quest and Oculus Quest 2.
Review: Amazon's new duo of Echo Dots are a roundabout success
At its fall 2020 event, Amazon unveiled an entirely new design for its Echo smart speaker lineup, featuring a soft, spherical design on the standard Echo (4th Gen) and the three flavors of Echo Dot (4th Gen). We took a look at the Echo Dot with Clock (4th Gen) and Echo Dot (4th Gen) to see how much they've improved over the previous generation and let you know if we think you should buy...
The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is Verizon's best phone
There's nothing quite like a new phone on America's top-rated network, and the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is a smash hit. While it's arguably the best phone on Verizon right now, there are a lot of other great options.


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Eugene and Charmaine Edge Talk About Internship Programs
Published 5:02 pm Monday, January 8, 2024
Local business owners Charmaine and Eugene Edge gave interviews about the internship programs each had started in conjunction with their business. Meeting at Charmaine Edge’s clothing store, Code Black Atl., both gave interviews behind the counter so that Charmaine Edge could be ready to serve any incoming customers. Still wearing a reflective vest, Eugene Edge, president of the NAACP and owner of Ibri Builders, began the interview by talking about values his construction interns learned.
“Showing leadership qualities. Being able to perform the task without someone standing over your shoulder.”
Skills his interns learned ranged from simple tasks like properly using a tape measure, to wide ranging disciplines like work ethics and showing up on time. Interns were able to apply these skills while learning plumbing and cabinet installation.
Eugune Edge mentioned anyone from the age of 12 to 18 would be eligible to intern with either business. So far, two interns have completed an internship with Eugene Edge’s construction company, and they are eligible to reapply. Charmaine Edge’s clothing store intern was recently hired.
Eugene Edge talked about how the impetus for the construction internship was to teach African Americans hands on skills.
“We won’t exclude anybody, but it’s basically designed for the African American community, because they are deprived in some things, so we try to educate them.”
Eugene Edge talked about how they had tried internships in the past, but that the recent internship program had gained support from Black Voters Matter, placing it under the NAACP.
He responded to questions about difficulties the program faced, stating parental involvement was an issue.
“I don’t think they understand the gravity of hands-on skills because a lot of people aren’t tech savvy, and right now everything is going to more tech. The job market is going to more tech, and they are eliminating a lot of hands-on jobs and that’s one of the problems that we see taking place at places like Walmart with the cashiers, everything is self-checkout now.”
However, he foresees limits with this trend, stating that although many jobs may be eliminated, jobs like laying bricks, building houses, and erecting structures were beyond automation.
“You can only do that by hand, and machines won’t do that. Trying to get the parents to understand that, although your child may not go to college, he can get a trade and learn hands on skills and he will always be employable.”
Eugune Edge expressed a strong desire to foster construction skills in the African American community.
“For four hundred years, almost four hundred years, the African American community has been the ones with that trade, because of course we built this country, and so we have lost that skill, we have lost that trade, and now the Hispanic community is doing a lot of that trade and that’s the sad reality, and that’s one of the reasons that we started that program is to help our people get back into those experiences that we once had.”
When asked about the hardest skill his interns needed to master, he said that none were especially difficult for those who applied themselves.
Charmaine Edge talked about the skills her intern gained from working in a clothing store.
“Customer service, number one, appearance, attitude, being on time, merchandising. Once you got your customer service down pat, everything else will fall in place.”
The clothing store internship also taught how to do layaway, place orders, and even allowed the intern to take a field trip to Atlanta. Charmaine Edge talked about how the intern especially enjoyed attending the Cobb Show, where a wide variety of clothing wholesalers gathered, allowing merchants to exchange and acquire inventory.
“We taught them the process of buying and dealing with the wholesalers. That was a good experience for them.”
Eugene Edge mentioned one common aspect of the internship was that they opened a bank account for the interns, allowing them to learn how to manage funds.
When asked what he would say to other businesses that might be interested in setting up internships, he mentioned reaching out to the Ignite program at the local high school to see if they had any students who would be willing to participate, and if they could offer any support.


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AGONY UNRATED VR Has Been Officially Announced; Will Feature New Gameplay Mechanics
Polish video game developer and publisher Madmind Studio has officially confirmed that Agony Unrated VR is a real thing, allowing all iron-willed players to freely explore the deepest depths of Hell like never before.
The newly announced VR version of Agony Unrated — which basically is a more mature version of the base game, featuring plenty of lustful demons and crushed genitals — is being created by Gdynia-based Ignibit.
"From the early beginning, we wanted this production to be more than just an addition to the base game," Madmind said. "We wanted the gameplay to be fully adapted to the VR hardware, [including] new gameplay mechanics and gameplay solutions involving motion controllers," the crew concluded.
Unfortunately, the studio hasn't shared any concrete details about the title's release date and platforms yet.
It's probably worth remembering that Madmind is simultaneously developing Succubus — the first Agony spin-off — and Paranoid, an original psychological horror. Both projects will make their debut next year.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bartosz Sobczak - Owner, Editor-in-Chief
Lawyer by day, video game reporter by night. Long-time fan of the Mass Effect, Age of Empires, Prince of Persia, BioShock — especially the second one — and Splinter Cell series (who still believes that the best is yet to come). Tries his hardest to shine a new light on the Polish game-development scene. Gameplay Mechanix is his biggest passion project to date. Often listens to old episodes of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson while writing. Privately a cat person.
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David Dorman, 45, has resigned as president-CEO of Internet broadcast company PointCast, Sunnyvale, Calif. to become CEO of a $10 billion venture formed by AT&T Corp. and BT last year. The company is to be launched later this year, pending regulatory approval. Mr. Dorman starts his new position April 1. Phil Koen, who had been chief operating officer-exec VP at PointCast, becomes its new president-CEO. Mr. Dorman will remain chairman of PointCast's board of directors. Before joining PointCast in 1997, Mr. Dorman served as president-CEO of Pacific Bell from 1994 to 1996.
Meanwhile, PointCast continues in negotiations for a strategic partner, said Don Albert, senior VP-advertising sales and e-commerce at PointCast. PointCast has been rumored to be in talks with telecommunication companies since it withdrew its filing for an initial public offering last year.
Copyright March 1999, Crain Communications Inc.


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As the margarita-fueled Cinco de Mayo approaches, eateries are growing increasingly worried. 'Def-con for lime juice,' says one beverage director.
Stores that made big bets in the country are now finding credit card transactions canceled and shoppers increasingly skittish as the ruble plunges.
Sure, Suntory makes fine hooch. But if anyone outside the US should purchase Beam, it's Australia.
The recent spate of deals is bigger than ever, and many targets are some landmark American names.
The word itself appeals to consumers, but it has no clear meaning and opens producers to lawsuits challenging the claim.
I can't think of a worse portfolio to have right now than what the hedge fund manager has been able to cobble together.
AMC Networks is upgraded to 'outperform,' and Deere is downgraded to 'neutral.'
VIDEO ON MSN MONEY
Copyright © 2014 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
The S&P 500 manages to keep a deathgrip on 2,000, but key areas of the market are already buckling under pressure.
The Market Dispatches column has been discontinued. Here's where to find the latest stock and business news on MSN Money, and the latest from market writer Charley Blaine.
MONEY & POLITICS
Breaking up big banks is an untested solution to the too big to fail problem that attempts to isolate and dismantle large, troubled institutions while protecting the rest of the economy.
You can give your car the care it needs without draining your bank account if you follow this advice.
Six weeks later, most Americans have forgotten about the 2014 tax season -- except those who didn't file by the April 15 deadline.
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The owner of Bella Italia, Cafe Rouge, and Las Iguanas has fallen into administration.
The Casual Dining Group has 250 outlets, 91 of which will close immediately and lead to the loss of 1,900 jobs.
AlixPartners will handle the administration and are in the process of finding buyers for the remaining parts of the business
Clare Kennedy, from AlixPartners, said: “We appreciate that this is an extremely difficult time for all those associated with Casual Dining Group.”
“Our immediate priorities are to assist those whose employment has been affected by today’s announcement and to secure a sale for the group in order to protect jobs and provide the group’s much-loved brands with a sustainable platform for the future.”
The Casual Dining Group applied to appoint administrators back in May as the group struggled over lockdown to pay rents and saw revenues collapse as restaurants over the UK closed.
James Spragg, the chief executive of the Bella Italia owner, said: “We are acutely aware of our duty to all employees and recognise that this is an incredibly difficult time for them.”
“Working alongside the administrators, we will do everything we can to support them through this process, with a view to preserving as much employment as we are able to.”
The casual dining sector has suffered over the lockdown period. Many pubs and restaurants will be reopening on 4 July under social distancing measures.
“The casual dining sector was in distress before this crisis but this is what will tip many over the edge and towards collapse,” said Julie Palmer, a partner at the corporate restructuring firm Begbies Traynor.
“The make up of the high street before this crisis was such that one could not do without the other and they begin to spiral down together towards the bottom of their finances.”


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The British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) has announced two new initiatives for club members: a new online learning hub and a series of special interest webinars.
The online learning hub has been created to support clubs, centers and members in moving to online learning to continue their training.
The plan with BSAC online learning has three main threads to it:
- Supporting clubs and centers to deliver their own theory lessons
- Delivering centrally-organized theory lessons using webinar software
- Developing an integrated online learning platform
Training webinars are now online for Ocean Diver, Sports Diver, Dive Leader, and some Skill Development Course taster sessions too. New webinar dates are being added daily.
In addition, they have announced a calendar of special interest webinars organized by volunteers to help keep us all connected with the sport we love.


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Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ:CMCSAC) CEO Brian Roberts just announced that the cable company plans to launch wireless service by the middle of next year. According to Roberts the aim is to retain customers by reducing churn.
An additional goal is to sell additional services, in this case wireless service, in a bid to increase revenue without having to go out and recruit new customers.
Infrastructure In Place
According to the CEO, Comcast has a “good fair relationship” to sell on a wholesale basis. “We believe there will be a big payback with reduced churn, more stickiness and better satisfaction,” he said.
A Long Time Coming
Rumors about a Wi-Fi powered wireless service at Comcast have been around for several years. This announcement merely turns those rumors into reality.
A similar Wi-Fi powered wireless service was launched last year by Cablevision in New York City. There hasn’t been much news about the service except a comment from Verizon executive, Fran Shammo who said late last year that Verizon had been informed cable companies planned to execute on their 2011 Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) agreement.
Integrating X1 And Netflix
Roberts, who spoke at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia investor conference, also said the company would build on its deal with Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLXC) as well as other streaming services to integrate offerings on Comcast’s popular X1 set-top box.
By integrating Netflix, Comcast will make it possible for customers to watch current series offerings like Scandal on Comcast and past seasons of the same show on Netflix. Although Roberts hinted that other services would eventually be added, he would not name names.
Everyone In The Pool
Since Netflix has already made streaming arrangements with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPLC), Roku and Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOGC) Chromecast, the company is rapidly becoming a presence on most platforms. Comcast, however, is unique since it is so large.
Meanwhile, Hulu, which is jointly owned by Comcast, The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DISC), Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (TSX:FOXAC) and Time Warner Inc. (:TWXN/A) has said it was planning to launch an Internet-based multi-channel video platform next year. If that comes to pass, nearly every major media company will be part of the action.


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Hilton sues Web site displaying her property
EmptyParis Hilton has sued to shut down a Web site that displays her diaries, photos and other personal property in what lawyers for the celebrity heiress call "one of the most reprehensible invasions of privacy ever committed."
Hilton's lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, says her belongings were taken from storage after a moving company failed to pay the bill and pictures of them exhibited on the Internet to anyone paying a $39.97 fee to the Web site ParisExposed.com.
"This action seeks to enjoin perhaps one of the most single egregious and reprehensible invasions of privacy ever committed against an individual," Hilton's attorneys wrote in the lawsuit, which claims copyright infringement, invasion of privacy and violation of her right to publicity.
According to the lawsuit, the items were put in storage two years ago by Hilton, 25, when she and her 23-year-old sister, Nicky, moved out of their Los Angeles home, and that they arranged for a moving company to handle the rent.
When the moving company neglected to pay the bills, the lawsuit says, the contents of Hilton's storage locker were sold for $2,775 to defendants Nabil and Nabila Haniss. They, in turn, sold Hilton's belongings to Bardia Persa for $10 million, who displayed them on a Web site called ParisExposed.com.
"I was appalled to learn that people are exploiting my and my sisters' private personal belongings for commercial gain," Hilton, star of the reality TV series "The Simple Life," said in a declaration attached to the lawsuit.
Representatives for the defendants could not be reached for comment. The Web site was still operating on Tuesday.


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Friday, January 8, 2016
Condé Nast’s Brides Offers "Private Access" to Clients
Called “The Bridal Style Package,” brides-to-be will be able to meet one of the magazine’s editors for up to $12,500. The package includes a one-hour pre-consultation via Skype, followed by half a day at the Brides’ offices at Condé Nast headquarters at One World Trade Center.
Condé Nast Is Expanding and Hiring
Late on Wednesday, Condé tweeted that it would be revealing a new job posting on Twitter each hour on Thursday under its Condé Nast Career handle: @CondeNastCareer.
The Atlantic to Launch New Politics Section, Election Hub
The Atlantic is launching a new politics section and election hub, and will triple its reporting, events and business staffs as it absorbs some National Journal staff, the organization has announced.
More About InStyle’s Web Series on Fashionable Films Debut
In choosing their favorite films, the InStyle-approved fashion industry professionals tended to focus on specific decades that resonate with them.
In the U.K. FHM Unveils Last-Ever Cover Featuring Holly Willoughby
Following last year’s announcement that monthly men’s magazine FHM will be closing down operations across both its print and digital platforms, the magazine has unveiled its last cover, ending its 31-year-old history with its February 2016 issue.
Chaos Continues at Maxim
Maxim publisher Sardar Biglari will be officially named editor in chief of the men's magazine, Politico Media reported. In addition, fashion photographer Gilles Bensimon will be named to a senior creative position.
People on the Move in Magazine Media This Week
Time Inc. welcomes a new SVP, a new editor-in-chief for Meredith's bimonthly Spanish-language lifestyle magazine Siempre Mujer, The Daily Dot hires a teenager, IBT Media hires a VP, director of marketing operations, HarpersBazaar.com named a new travel and weddings editor, and much more...
The American Society of Magazine Editors Reveal Best Covers Finalists
The best 50 covers were selected by a jury of top editors, art directors and photo editors. Media junkies can vote for their favorite covers at texture.com/vote. The winners of the ASME best cover contest will be revealed at the American Magazine Media Conference on Feb. 2, which will take place the night before the Ellie Awards Annual Dinner.
There’s Been a Mindset Change: Legacy Publishers Are Catching Up
Viewability Complexity Stalls vCPM Model
Millennials Continue to Challenge Marketers
Publishers Are About to Hit a Wall with Native Ads
Baseball Writers Face Moral Dilemma in Hall of Fame Vote


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Donald Trump is known for forgetting facts and names of people he is mentioning in his speeches. Last year he gaffed up Lockheed Martin CEO’s name by calling her Marillyn Lockheed when her actual name is Marillyn Hewson. Trump has now messed up again and this time it’s the Cupertino-based tech giant that’s involved.
While Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, is pretty well known in tech circle and beyond, the President of the US apparently does not remember his full name. At an American Workforce Policy Advisory Board meeting today Donald Trump called Tim Cook as Tim Apple.
It didn’t appear that this was a jolly way of Trump associating Tim with the company he managed because for the entirety of the speech Trump referred to Tim Cook as only Tim. Nor did Trump continue his sentence after saying Tim Apple, like “Thank you Tim… Apple is doing great.”
No, it felt as though Trump had forgotten the last name of one of the tech industry’s biggest mogul. Perhaps Trump only associates people with the company they run. Perhaps that’s how he had saved Tim Cook’s number on his phone. Or the most obvious answer is that he forgot his name.
The next names on his hitlist could possibly be ‘Elon Tesla’ or ‘Mark Facebook’.


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Apple announces free repair programme, Samsung’s new phones, Google beats Apple in laptop sales and more
Gadgets Now Bureau21 Feb, 2021, 05:49PM IST
Google rolls out first Developer Preview of Android 12
Google is gearing up to release the next big Android update this year-- Android 12. The first Developer Preview of Android 12 is here, giving Android users a glimpse of what new features Google plan to introduce. Read the complete story here.
Apple announces free repair programme for Watch Series 5 and Watch SE models
Apple has announced a free repair programme for two Apple Watch series models. According to a support document posted on Apple’s website, some users — Watch Series 5 and Watch SE — complained that their smart watch wasn’t charging after entering Power Reserve mode. Read the complete story here.
Google Chromebooks outsell Apple laptops for the first time
According to a report by Geekwire, which quotes IDC, 2020 was the first full year in which Chrome OS took second place beating Apple’s MacOS. However, it may be Microsoft who needs to worry more than Apple. According to the IDC report, while Microsoft Windows-powered PCs/laptops continue to hold majority market share, both Apple computers and Google ChromeBooks gained on its expense. Read the complete story here.
Samsung Galaxy F62 launched, takes on OnePlus Nord
Samsung expanded its F series smartphone lineup with the launch of Galaxy F62. Priced at Rs 23,999, Galaxy F62 takes on affordable flagships OnePlus Nord and Xiaomi Mi10i. Read the complete story here.
Mercedes-Benz recalls 13 lakh cars in the US over fears of software glitch
Daimler AG's US unit Mercedes-Benz USA said that it is recalling 1.29 million vehicles because of software glitch related to eCall. The recall is likely to start on April 6. Read the complete story here.
Samsung Galaxy A12 smartphone with 48MP quad camera launched at 12,999
Samsung launched the Galaxy A12 smartphone in India. It sports a 6.5-inch HD+ Infinity-V Display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio P35 processor. Read the complete story here.
The Supreme Court has asked the Centre and WhatsApp to reply to a fresh plea alleging lower standards of privacy for Indians in comparison to European users saying it is the duty of the judiciary to protect citizens' privacy. People have grave apprehensions that they will lose their privacy and it is our duty to protect them, the top court said. Read the complete story here.
Harman Kardon SoundSticks 4 speakers launched in India
Harman Kardon launched SoundSticks 4 speakers with a transparent dome design. It is priced at Rs 25,999. Read the complete story here.
Panasonic connected washing machine, refrigerator and digital smart devices launched
Panasonic announced the expansion of its IoT & AI enabled Connected Living platform and launched a connected Refrigerator, Washing Machine, Wi-Fi Fan, ROMA Smart digital Switches and Smart WiFi Controller plugs and switches on the platform. Read the complete story here.
ShareIt suffers from security flaws, claims report
Popular file sharing Android app — ShareIt — that has over billions of downloads has been found to have multiple vulnerabilities. As per a report by Trend Micro, “the vulnerabilities can be abused to leak a user’s sensitive data and execute arbitrary code with ShareIt permissions by using a malicious code or app.” Read the complete story here.
Twitter rolls put voice message feature for DMs in India
Microblogging platform Twitter started rolling out voice message features for direct messages (DMs) in India. Available as a part of an experiment, the feature is being currently rolled in a phased manner for Twitter users across select countries including Brazil, Japan and India. Read the complete story here.
Google announces new tools to help students and teachers during online classes
Internet search giant Google announced new tools to help students and teachers. In a blog post, the company said that it is adding 50 new features to Google Classroom and GMeet. Read the complete story here.
Lenovo Smart Clock Essential with built-in Google Assistant launched at Rs 4,499
Expanding its smart home solutions, Lenovo has announced Smart Clock Essential in India. The new smart clock from the company is a connected digital smart clock at an affordable price. The company says, the Smart Clock Essential is designed for every room in the home. Read the complete story here.
Poco India unveiled new brand logo and mascot
Smartphone brand Poco unveiled a brand new logo and brand mascot. ‘Made of Mad’ is the new brand logo and the mascot will be integrated into the brand’s campaigns across different mediums. Read the complete story here.


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Kriti Sanon is the new brand ambassador for Urban Clap
UrbanClap, India’s largest home services platform, today unveiled its TVC campaign #SmartSalon with Kriti Sanon as the brand ambassador for the beauty vertical. This campaign features Kriti as a daughter who pokes fun at her mother for her old-fashioned ways, urging her to try UrbanClap’s #SmartSalon services. The campaign highlights how UrbanClap’s #SmartSalon makes life easier for the urban multi-tasker women.
Kriti in recent times with her choice of movies has been able to strike a chord with young women in the country. UrbanClap’s association with Kriti Sanon comes at a point when the brand is rapidly growing and aims to deliver services at home like never experienced before. UrbanClap’s Beauty services at home continues to be the key vertical for the company, within which UrbanClap offers skin-care, hair-care, makeup, spa, massage and men’s grooming services.
#SmartSalon campaign will see the launch of three short videos featuring Kriti Sanon and Ayesha Raza debunking some of the most common perceptions that women have regarding home salon services, for example, mess created at home, untrained beauticians or high costs attached for the services.
Talking about the experience of working on the campaign, Kriti Sanon said, “I am extremely excited to be associated with UrbanClap, a brand which is working to make life easier for urban multi-tasker women. I had a great time shooting for this campaign with the UrbanClap team, and I look forward to audience response on this work. Moreover, I had the pleasure of meeting their professionals. It is quite inspiring how these enterprising experts have taken up the mantle of earning a great livelihood and making life better for their families!”
Varun Khaitan, Co-founder of UrbanClap said, “Beauty is a key vertical for UrbanClap, and we have seen an overwhelming response from customers for the salon and spa services we offer at home. The new #SmartSalon campaign talks about how busy women of today can avail reliable and affordable beauty services at home through UrbanClap.”
Spread across digital media and TV, UrbanClap is looking to build a high recall for their at home salon services. With summers being the harshest season, UrbanClap appeals to women to make smart choices and book on the platform for their beauty, wellness and grooming services at home. The expert beauty services by UrbanClap are available in 10 cities and has more than 6000 partners associated with the platform.


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Retail Food Group is currently evaluating a number of merger and acquisition opportunities across the franchise, coffee and allied beverage, food service and manufacturing industries to add to its ever-growing portfolio.
Andre Nell, Retail Food Group managing director, told shareholders during the company’s annual meeting the group is currently evaluating 50 businesses and 12 of those opportunities are the “subject of active engagement”.
The owner of brands including Donut King, Gloria Jean’s Coffees and Crust Gourmet Pizza, will increase its debt by $40 million.
“RFG is enthused about the overabundance of M&A opportunity now under consideration and what that might mean for the company’s future prospects,” Nell said.
The group said it is also looking at food franchise and coffee-related opportunities across Australia. RFG have also been granted master franchise licenses across Europe, the Middle East and the APAC region, which Nell said would contribute over 50 per cent of new outlet commissions in the first half of FY17.
Nell reaffirmed its FY17 guidance of 20 per cent underlying NPAT growth excluding acquisition and integrated costs.
“That growth will be weighted as to c.54 per cent to the 2H17, reflecting the impact of 1H17 acquisitive activity, together with the timing and realisation of international growth initiatives,” he said.


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Solutions for resilient semiconductor supply chains – CH, 7.01.22
Supply shortages of semiconductors highlight security risks of an interconnected world and complex global supply chains. Circular economy approaches can help.
Radiografia industriei de 400 mld. dolari a semiconductorilor, un sector care a dat peste cap o lume întreagă. Cine foloseşte şi cât de căutate sunt? Semiconductorii sunt al patrulea cel mai folosit produs din lume – zf, 30.12.21
Biden Opens Sneaky New Front in Trade War Against China – FP, 22.06.21
To understand the administration’s new stance, look to the South Korean semiconductor firm Magnachip. By Chris Miller, an assistant professor at Tuft University’s Fletcher School of Law and Democracy
- Italia şi Intel îşi intensifică discuţiile pentru o fabrică de cipuri de 9 miliarde de dolari – 24.12.21
- Guvernul de la Roma pregătește o ofertă pentru a convinge Intel să construiască o fabrică de miliarde de dolari în Italia – 26.10.21
- Comisia Europeană vrea construirea unei industrii europene a chipurilor. ”E o chestiune de suveranitate tehnologică, suntem dependenți de cele fabricate în Asia” – 15.09.21
- UE vrea să ajungă la 20% din producția globală de cipuri până în 2030. Comisia Europeană a lansat două alianțe industriale – 19.07.21
Bosch opens Dresden chip plant as Europe aims for independence from Asia – DW, 7.06.21
- The world’s largest automotive supplier Bosch has opened a new semiconductor plant in Dresden. Bosch has invested one billion euros in the site, which will focus on the production of microchips for the car industry. The auto sector depends heavily on semiconductors from Asia, but disruptions in the global supply chain during the coronavirus pandemic have led to massive shortages.
- The plant is Europe’s first fully digitized and highly networked semiconductor factory. The German government also invested in the plant. Start of production is slated for July 2021.
- When it comes to chips, it’s all about the tiny details. A single chip no larger than a fingernail contains several billion transistors. The science behind it is amazing. Tens of thousands of silicon wafers, packed in boxes, are moving through the production sites of Globalfoundries, Europe’s largest chip producer, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Once ordered, it can take up to three months to produce a chip. Some of the factory machinery costs as much as an aircraft. Chips are scarce all over the world. It’s a good time to invest. Globalfoundries wants to double production at its German site. Nearby there is an Infineon plant. The company is the global leader for producing vehicle chips. There, too, there are plans to expand. The world’s largest automotive supplier Bosch has also invested heavily, spending a billion euros on a new factory. The region around the city of Dresden has become the hub of Europe’s semiconductor industry. Every second European chip is made here. Asia and the US are well ahead in this race. Europe now wants to combine its forces to catch up. “Europe has to become more independent in chip making.”
- Christin Eisenschmid, Managing Director and Vice-President of Intel Germany, is calling for the EU and regional governments to make semiconductor production a national priority and work with leading manufacturers to double production capacity by 2030. That includes paying subsidies, says the Intel rep. “We have to become more independent from Asia to be flexible enough to react to shortages” like the current one. Eisenschmid says the current chip shortage is not only due to factory and supply chain problems in Asia, but is also caused by global demand growing faster than ever before. That, she says, is because of the ongoing digitalization, including in schools, the healthcare and auto sector. Current problems are expected to be a burden for the industry for a while, as chip manufacturers cannot react fast to a changing environment. It takes up to four years to develop a new facility. Intel says, a concerted effort by private investors and governments can help speed things up.
Goana după semiconductori – RFI, 12.02.21


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Share tips of the week – 3 September
MoneyWeek’s comprehensive guide to the best of this week’s share tips from the rest of the UK's financial pages.
Six to buy
(Barron’s) Poly, which makes conference-room paraphernalia and office headsets, reckons there are about 50 million conference rooms around the world, but only 10% are equipped for videoconferencing. Some commuters are gradually returning to the office, but there is expected to be an increase in hybrid meetings, mixing in person and virtual participants. This presents a huge opportunity. The shares are “down to bargain-basement levels” after the fallout from an “ill-fated” merger three years ago. But the firm is recovering. It reported sales of $431m, up 21% from a year ago, for the first quarter ending in July. Video-product sales surged by 94% year-on-year and voice equipment was up by 34%. $32
(The Daily Telegraph) Warren Buffett has said he will never sell a single share in Coca-Cola. But Pepsi “offers investors the better opportunity”. The business case for it is stronger because it sells a greater variety of products than Coca-Cola’s beverage-focused business. Pepsi boasts 23 brands that generate annual sales of more than $1bn. It is also tweaking its products “so that they move along with the times” (by switching to low-sugar versions, for instance) and seeking new markets beyond its US base. There is a threat as governments attempt to tackle obesity, but Pepsi has “dials it can twiddle” in response. $156
(Investors’ Chronicle) Patio and paving-slab supplier Marshalls generates just under a third of its top line from households. Sales to DIYers in the first half of the year were up by 17% from 2019. Demand is so strong that the order book has climbed to 21.4 weeks; 12 weeks would normally be considered healthy. The company has successfully passed on rising costs to its customers (container rates for shipping sandstone from India have risen tenfold). This “well-managed business” is also alleviating a shortage of HGV drivers by training new ones. Investors should buy in now. 798p
(The Sunday Times) Fulham Shore is planning to expand after the pandemic. The owner of Franco Manca has a list of 150 sites where it hopes to “plant a pizza restaurant” or one of its Mediterranean dining spots, The Real Greek. The restaurants are doing better than they were in 2019, while takeaway and delivery orders have held up post-lockdown. The company was hit hard by coronavirus. But rent deals will cut its opening costs by around £100,000. Further growth could come from overseas: the company has hired a team to run its international operations and wants to acquire new, younger brands. 18p
(The Mail on Sunday) Outsourcing group Mitie has had a “mixed time” during the crisis. The company benefited from the need for employees to work at Covid-19 testing and vaccination centres, but it lost out on several of its office contracts. In June 2020 it diluted shareholders’ capital with a rights issue to raise money to see it out of the pandemic and to acquire Interserve’s “collapsed” facilities-management business. The acquisition is “bedding in well” and the company now seems to be on a “firmer footing”. 74p
(Shares) The supermarket’s investment in online operations paid off when it posted robust sales over Christmas. Argos, its non-food business, also “put in a strong showing” after converting in-store shoppers into online buyers during the pandemic. The group has outperformed rivals and its share of the UK grocery market has jumped from 14.8% to 15.2% in a year. Strong recent sales prompted it to upgrade its full-year earnings forecast, which could translate into an increased dividend. The stock seems to have further to go. 332p
...and the rest
The Daily Telegraph
Real Estate Credit Investments lends money to owners or developers of different types of property. The scarcity of lenders in its chosen markets translates into higher yields without proportionately higher risk. It has paid a quarterly dividend since 2017. BioPharma Credit is a similar business lending to drug companies. It has never suffered a default despite the high rates it can demand on its loans, and offers a stable dividend. Buy both stocks at 156p and $0.98 respectively.
Antofagasta had a “scorcher of a first half” thanks to the rising price of copper. Profit more than doubled year-on-year to £1.75bn. The half-year dividend is well ahead of both last year and 2019. The miner has cut guidance owing to a drought in Chile, which might reduce production. But it remains a buy for now (1,396p).
The Mail on Sunday
BATM’s two divisions – networking and cyber, and biomedical solutions – places the company “neatly at the heart of two major preoccupations of our current age”: defences against disease and defences against computer hacking. BATM did well throughout the pandemic, providing ventilators and then Covid-19 test kits. It is rolling out new diagnostic kits that test for several respiratory viruses, and a rapid test for tuberculosis. Its networking and cyber division numbers look gloomier, with revenues down slightly year-on-year, but it has promising products in its pipeline. Buy (93p).
JD Sports Fashion has cashed in on the “athleisure” boom among “youthful gym-goers and fashion savvy consumers”. It is set to deliver increased pre-tax profits of £550m this year, and should continue to do well as teenagers “look to refresh their personal style post-pandemic”. Buy (967p).


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Courteney Cox is one sad friend.
The star of NBC’s long-running 1990s sitcom about six New York City pals posed for an Instagram pic as she wore a throwback T-shirt from Friends’ heyday. The black shirt is emblazoned with the faces of a very youthful David Schwimmer, Jennifer Aniston, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, and Cox. Several of the six stars have coffee cups in front of them, presumably from the show’s coffee shop hangout, Central Perk.
The only problem is, the face of Cox’s character, Monica Geller, is nearly cut in half to make way for a V-neck.
While she is making a sad face in the snap, the 55-year-old Friends star poked fun at the fashion mishap as she joked that some people will do anything for a V-tee. The Friends star’s followers also made light of the look, commenting on the post with quips about not “making the cut” and how this “cuts like a knife.”
Cox’s new photo comes as Friends nostalgia is in high gear. The beloved NBC sitcom will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this month, so it’s no surprise that the star of the show is pulling out on old tee to commemorate the show’s silver anniversary.
You can see Courteney Cox’s hilarious Instagram photo below.
Friends fans hoping to emulate Cox’s look probably won’t have to look far as Friends fever abounds ahead of the 25th anniversary. While the exact shirt the sitcom star is wearing in her Instagram photo may not be available, retailers such as Kohl’s and Urban Outfitters are currently peddling Friends-themed shirts.
In addition, House Beautiful recently teased that a new line at Target leaked by the popular Instagram account @targetdoesitagain will include such items as a “Pivot” couch hoodie, a gray “You’re My Lobster” tee, and black sweatpants emblazoned with the names of the Friends characters — with Monica making the cut this time.
Ahead of the show’s 25th anniversary, Courteney Cox remains especially nostalgic about her time working on Friends. Last month, Entertainment Tonight pointed to the star’s many social media nods to the show that made her a household name. In August, Cox posted a video on Instagram in which she delivered her character’s signature line — “I know!”— as only she could.
Earlier this year, Cox also took to Instagram after recreating the famous couch scene which featured Ross (Schwimmer) repeatedly yelling “Pivot!” at Chandler (Perry) and Rachel (Aniston) as they helped him carry a couch up a flight of stairs.
Friends turns 25 on September 22.


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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation has given Apple, Uber, FedEx, and others approval for pilot airborne drone projects in 10 cities across the U.S. Noticeably absent are Amazon and other retail-specific drone delivery operators, according to The Guardian.
Amazon, which reportedly applied for approval to deliver packages in New York via drone, issued a statement calling the decision “unfortunate.”
Approved locations include cities in Oklahoma, California, Virginia, Kansas, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nevada, and Alaska.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao has said data gathered from the pilot projects will help form the regulatory framework for drone flights. Drone uses will range from mapping and aircraft inspection to mosquito tracking and food delivery.
Insiders say the initial excitement over drone delivery of retail products in the U.S. has faded during the past couple of years due to regulatory red tape. Some have estimated commercial drone delivery in the U.S. would occur in 2020, but others doubt the projection.
Chao said dozens more projects could be approved in coming months, either with new waivers or under existing rules. A rigorous process was cited in conjunction with Amazon’s rejection, but deputy transportation secretary Jeff Rosen said there were “no losers.”
Amazon has worked with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on policy before and has tested its drone technology around the world.
President Trump, who has been critical of Amazon, launched the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program last year. A total of149 bids were drawn from locales looking to host flights at night, flights over people, and other drone operations that are currently prohibited under U.S. regulations. The winners are expected to gain a head start at the billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs the young industry expects to create.